Now in its 5th year, participating exhibitors, designers, architects, artists and students have taken The Project to a whole other level and the results were more engaging, colourful and creative than ever.

The brief this year (provided by Woodhead) was titled ’Activate Environments’ and each collaboration were asked to ’create the fourth dimension, bring forms and space to life, take action and revive, invigorate and awaken’.

We noticed some key themes in the responses to the brief:

Bespoke Tile & Stone with Michael Kai

Art installations

Whether it was a 5.6-metre long mosaic depiction of Flinders St Station (Bespoke Tile & Stone with photographer Michael Kai) or live events such as Artists at Work (Chairbiz with 10 Melbourne artists), art was a constant companion to The Project. Graffitists also played a lead role, taking their aerosol cans to the event at Smeg (with SJB), and at Zip’s pop up space by Studio Equator.

Smeg with SJB

Artists at Work with Chairbiz

Zip with Studio Equator

Experiential

Interactive installations invited visitors to engage through all of the senses at Interface (with Baldasso Cortese, DesignInc, Emma Coulter, Little Wonder, Motherbird and Suters) and Great Dane (with their Whisky Den created by DesignOffice and sponsored by local bar The Beaufort). And exhibitors also used circulation and movement to express their story, such as Zenith’s journey through time designed by Rothelowman.

Interface with Baldasso Cortese, DesignInc, Emma Coulter, Little Wonder, Motherbird and Suters

Great Dane with DesignOffice and The Beaufort

Changing installations

It was easy being green at Euroluce/Haworth (with Nexus Designs) who asked visitors to take a green sticker from their wall, leaving an imprint of the days events. While Temperature Design’s showroom (by Clare Cousins Architects) was transformed into a colourful carnival, where ribbon was written on and tied around the walls to enter their competition.

Temperature Design with Clare Cousins Architects

Euroluce/Haworth with Nexus Designs

Creative competitions

At Oly, Hecker Guthrie asked visitors to sketch an interior to match one of the ’Oly Ten’ chairs and Reece became a modelling workshop as Daniel Dalla Riva of Six Hats invited guests to form miniature clay baths inspired by Zaha Hadid to enter the competition for a trip to Spain.

Oly with Hecker Guthrie

Reece with Six Hats

We have an extensive image gallery of The Project coming up, with more images of all those mentioned above and even more from the following equally as impressive collaborations:

Eastern Commercial Furniture with FMSA

Indesign with Toby Horrocks Architecture (at Corporate Culture)

Inlite with Hassell

Insitu Furniture with V-Arc

Poliform with Adele Locke

Signature Floorconcepts with HBO + EMTB

Space Furniture with Hassell and Condensed

Stylecraft with RMIT Interior Design

Viabizzuno with Geyer

Woven Image with Bang Design

Zenith with Rothelowman

Dont forget you can still vote in the People’s Choice Award until 31 August.

Images © Spy Photography and Nicole England Photography